The Last Mission of the Living (The Last Bastion Book 2) (25 page)

“I insist that you get in. After all, you’re a hero of The Bastion.” Dr. Curran smiled, yet her eyes remained aloof. “You shouldn’t be walking through the streets.”

The scientist did have a point. The SWD did have a fleet of small tiltrotors used to ferry officials about, but she’d declined the ride, wanting to enjoy the walk. Lindsey had almost been late to her meeting with the commandant due to being stopped by several citizens during her trek at sunrise. They’d just wanted to thank her personally. It was now later in the morning, and the streets were packed.

“Were you sent?” Lindsey asked.

“I just happened to be in the area.”

Already, people were pointing at her and talking excitedly amongst themselves. With a sigh, Lindsey relented, scooted around the rear of the vehicle, ducked under the door the doctor opened for her, and settled into the passenger seat. The security harness lowered over her body and tightened just as both doors thumped shut. With a barely audible whine, the small vehicle lurched forward. Pedestrians scurried out of the way, which was a good thing, for it was obvious Dr. Curran expected people to yield to the vehicle. Lindsey fought the urge to grip the dashboard as the pod car careened through the streets and instead balled her hands in her lap.

“You look as tired as I feel,” Dr. Curran stated briskly in an attempt to start a conversation.

“It’s been a tough couple of weeks.”

Lindsey glanced out the window at the people rushing to avoid being struck by the pod car. To her amusement, she noted their eyes peering at the tinted windows in an attempt to see which high level official was inside. It was so odd to be in a ground vehicle. She’d never been in one before.

“Well, after that first mission, things got a bit easier, didn’t they? The squad expanded in number, more aircraft were assigned, more drones… everything improved. Even those damn stealth suits.”

“Yeah, much better than those initial suits.” The SWD Sci-Tech team had abandoned the stealth suits they’d designed and instead upgraded the SWD armor. It was sleek, easy to move in, and had actual helmets. They’d covered the armor with the stealth material and had refined the covering on the weapons.

There was a long, rather drawn out silence between them. Lindsey thought about starting some small talk but opted against it and focused on the city streets. The people did seem happier. There were smiles and laughter. It was a good feeling to know she was a part of the change.

“Did you ever wonder why we went to Beta City first?” Dr. Curran asked abruptly.

“The higher ups ordered it, so I guess they had their reason,” Lindsey replied.

Dr. Curran turned onto the road leading to the SWD Facility. “Did you ask Chief Defender Solomon?”

“No. Not really. She did say something about not having a choice.”

“Really?”

The pod car swerved through the entrance of the SWD Facility. The sensors immediately scanned the car and the gates opened once Dr. Curran and Lindsey were identified as having clearance.

“What are you getting at?” Lindsey asked pointedly. The doctor was definitely giving off a very disquieting vibe.

Dr. Curran remained silent for an unnerving couple of seconds, then said, “The chief defender chose the first objective.” Pulling into a parking area, Dr. Curran let the words sink in.

“I don’t understand,” Lindsey stuttered. “Why would she lie?”

Lindsey and Torran had both regarded Beta City as a bad choice for a mission. Solomon had appeared to agree with them. If she’d chosen Beta City, why hadn’t she told them? Furthermore, why would she even want to go to Beta City?

Parking the pod car, Dr. Curran’s usual stoic expression melted into a more pensive one. “That’s what you should ask yourself and then find an answer. You’re a very clever young woman. I’ve noticed that. You should have been SWD, you know. Not Constabulary. Your gifts are wasted. To have your mind on my team...”

“I am on your team, aren’t I?” Lindsey’s words were clipped. After the warning from both Commandant Pierce and Petra, she was feeling very on edge and defensive.

Dr. Curran settled back in her chair and stared at the black granite wall that encircled the SWD Facility. Finally, she broke her silence. “Those who follow blindly will be blind when danger comes.” With that comment, she opened the doors and slid out.

Lindsey immediately scrambled out of the car and rushed around to confront the scientist. “What do you mean? What’s going on? What do you
know
?”

Dr. Curran smirked. “That’s the thing, Lindsey. I
don’t
know what is going on. I’m much in the dark as you are about certain aspects of our mission. At one point, I was foolish enough to believe that at last my eyes were open to all the dark secrets of The Bastion, but now I suspect I am as blind as those poor souls rushing about in the city.”

Lindsey gave the woman a dubious look. Wasn’t Dr. Curran part of the grand conspiracy? “So what you’re saying is that you don’t trust the chief defender.”

“Ah, Vanguard Rooney. I don’t trust anyone.”

“But you’re talking to me.”

“Only because I believe you’re clever enough to sort out what is going on and perhaps enlighten
me
.”

That remark definitely made Lindsey uncomfortable. How many people knew about her secret abilities? Perhaps they weren’t as secret as she had presumed. It seemed best to not address the hidden meaning laced within the scientist’s words. “I have no reason to even like you. Especially after what you did to my best friend.”

“I liked Maria,” Dr. Curran snapped. “I liked her quite a lot. I did what I felt was best. I erred in some ways, but I had the best of intentions.”

The women glared at each other, and Lindsey had the desire to unleash all her frustrations on the scientist, but refrained. It wouldn’t benefit her to make Dr. Curran her enemy, especially if things were not quite as they seemed with the chief defender.

“I know Maria volunteered, but you had no right to lie to her. You told her there was a cure.”

“The mission was rushed. I wasn’t given the time to find a cure.”

“But you lied to her, and that wasn’t right.”

“I understand that, but we had no choice.
I
had no choice. I wasn’t pleased with the mission being hurried. I wanted to cure those soldiers. I didn’t want them to die. I gave Maria a different virus because I hoped it would return her to life and provide a cure. I actually liked her quite a lot. Her strength of will, character, and athleticism exemplify the best of humanity.”

Lindsey bristled a bit. The scientist described her friend like she was a specimen. Yet, she wasn’t about to argue that point. Because of the scientist, Maria wasn’t safely inside The Bastion but somewhere out in the dead world and the focus of a manhunt.

“The one thing you need to recognize, Vanguard Rooney, is that nothing and no one is what they seem in this city.”

With that parting comment, the scientist briskly walked away.

Lindsey considered following, but thought better of it. The ride back to the SWD Facility had bought her a little time before the excursion to the Notre Dame Depot. Her nerves a tangled mess, she hurried along the walkway toward the building that housed the squad’s headquarters. The crisp wind tore at her hair, and she fussed with it. At times, she wanted to cut it, but then she remembered her father gently brushing her hair and dismissed the impulse. In a strange way, her long locks were a memorial to him.

Hobbes unexpectedly joined her trek just as she neared the building. “Vanguard Rooney,” he said, and the words sounded teasing.

“Hobbes,” she said, eyeing him warily.

“So after today’s big haul, would you be up for drinks?” Hobbes cocked his head to look down at her, his eyes twinkling with mischief.

“Are you asking me on a date?”

“Well, if the answer is yes, I am. If not, it’s totally a group thing. All the squad getting together to celebrate. Master Seeker MacDonald already agreed to go.”

“Did he?” Again, Lindsey wondered how much people knew about her affair with Torran.

“So...”

“I will join the squad for a drink,” she answered, ignoring the proposed date and the possible poke at her romantic relationship.

“Excellent!”

Hobbes didn’t seem disappointed in the decline of a date, but he also never lacked for bedmates. At one time, Lindsey may have considered a little tryst with him, but his dashing good looks and muscled physique didn’t appeal to her like they once had. Her heart definitely lay with Torran, and that thought both thrilled and terrified her.

When they entered the building, Lindsey saw that several squad members were already milling about as the hour of their departure drew near. She excused herself and headed for the prep room. Maybe she could find a quiet place to get her thoughts in order and do a bit of snooping. When the doors opened, she found Torran leaning over the console, already at work with a frown on his face. Glancing up, he killed the screen he’d been studying and swiveled about to face her. Again, he had an inscrutable look.

Instantly, Lindsey’s heart beat a little faster. What had he been looking at? She was about to open her mouth and ask what he’d been up to when the doors opened behind her.

“We need to leave now,” Chief Defender Solomon announced. She was already in her gear. “An unexpected snow storm is in route.”

With that proclamation, Solomon retreated into the hallway.

Lindsey took a deep breath, and started to follow.

Torran fell in behind her.

Just as she slipped through the doorway, he lightly brushed his fingers over hers.

Looking up at him, she saw the deep concern in his eyes.

But concern about what?

Chapter 24

Earlier—

Torran was not in the best of moods.

He’d been peeved when Lindsey had been summoned to see Commandant Pierce just a few minutes after they’d awakened. He wanted to spend a few more hours alone with her before they had to report for duty. Every time they successfully returned from an excursion, he wanted nothing more than to never revisit to the dead world. Though the squad success rate was one hundred percent and there had been zero loss of life, Torran knew that every time they ventured out the chances of something dire befalling the squad amplified.

As Lindsey had dressed for her meeting, he sat on the bed watching her with a heavy feeling inside. She appeared oblivious to his growing anxiety over her safety, or maybe he was just very good at hiding it. When she finally pressed a kiss to his lips, he held onto her, drinking in the sensation of her in his arms. Chances were they wouldn’t be able to share a quiet moment before deployment, so he relished their embrace. With a contented sigh, she snuggled against him and ran her fingers through his hair.

Their last kiss was long, deep, and smoldering.

It took all his willpower to let her out of his arms.

Then she was gone, and he was alone.

His bed, flat, and heart always felt much emptier when she wasn’t around.

Sitting in the gloomy room, it was easy to start to dwell on all the possible terrible scenarios that could develop during their excursion to the Notre Dame Depot, so he forced himself out of bed. A shower and breakfast helped him feel a little more stable, but he couldn’t shake the anxious haze encompassing him.

After dressing for the day, he decided to check over the excursion specs one more time. Leaving his flat, he trekked across the quad. The heaviness inside his chest was not alleviating, but growing. Something was wrong, and he feared he had missed something important in all the intel he’d been assimilating for the excursion.

Torran was almost to his destination when his wristlet had chimed. Fortis Prime Trevino was calling a meeting, so he redirected his path toward the main building. The buzzing sensation in his nerve endings increased with each step. He wanted to believe it was just his anxiousness over the coming excursion, but the analytical part of his brain whispered that all was not well.

When Torran entered the designated conference room, he was surprised to find himself alone with Fortis Prime Trevino. The man wasn’t seated, but watching the staging area several floors below, where the aircraft were being prepped for departure.

“Master Seeker MacDonald, thank you for joining me,” Trevino said in greeting, though he didn’t remove his gaze from the scene on the ground.

“How can I be of service, sir?” Torran clutched his hat in his hands and waited for the officer to either motion him to sit or join him.

“As you know, we’ve been searching for the missing vanguard and castellan. The pulses during the squad’s excursions have failed to detect living humans.”

Since Torran had never been notified by anyone that the pulses had been used for such a search, he remained quiet. Apparently, someone was keeping him in the dark. He’d wondered a few times when the SWD would be called upon to recover Maria Martinez and Dwayne Reichardt, but had maintained his silence according to his directives. Though a part of him had been anxiously awaiting the order to retrieve the couple, he’d also dreaded the moment. He hoped Lindsey would understand that he had to obey his orders. It would be more difficult to explain that he supported their apprehension for the sake of keeping her safe.

Trevino finally looked Torran’s way. “The deserters couldn’t have gone too far.”

“Unless they repaired a vehicle of some type,” Torran suggested.

“Yes, but then they’d have to find a way to restore the fuel they’d need to fly or drive such a vehicle. That would take time.”

Trevino walked to the table and tapped the surface. A hologram appeared. It was a map of the area around The Bastion. It extended outward and covered the areas where the squad had retrieved food. Torran could now easily see the search pattern. The pulses probably should have turned up the couple by now if they were in the area. Fear strangled him for a few seconds, and he swallowed hard.

“I see your concern, sir.” Torran cleared his throat. “If they’re alive, they should have shown up on the scans. Do you think they’re dead? Or possibly turned into Abscrags?”

“Perhaps. Or there could be sabotage.” Trevino transferred his gaze from the holographic map to Torran. “Do you think that is a possibility?”

It bothered Torran that he instantly thought of Lindsey. She was incredibly intelligent and very capable of thwarting the SWD. Again, the thought of being on opposite ends with Lindsey made him very uncomfortable.

“It is a possibility,” he replied at last. “But then the Constabulary would have to have uncovered our plans.”

“Which is conceivable. They spy on us as much as we spy on them. I have a specialist sorting through the mission records trying to determine if there is sabotage occurring and who’s behind it. Do you have any thoughts on who it might be? It might accelerate the process.” Pivoting toward Torran, arms crossed over his broad chest, Trevino stared at the Scotsman with an unreadable look.

Torran pressed his lips together and quickly sifted through his thoughts. Finally, he said, “There are a few possibilities. Chief Defender Solomon comes immediately to mind.”

“She’s on my list, too.”

Setting his fingertips on the edge of the table, Torran hated the next words out of his mouth. “Of course, Vanguard Rooney.”

“She’s is at the
very
top of my list. We’re already launching an investigation. It’s not easy to find any details about her outside of her service record. Which makes me very suspicious.”

Torran wondered if maybe there were undercurrents to the conversation. Had perhaps someone seen him and Lindsey together? Maybe they’d become too lax in their interactions with one another. He had to wonder if he was under suspicion and the entire conversation was actually about his loyalty.

Trying very hard to remain calm, he said, “You might as well put the entire Constabulary squad on your list at this point. They’ll try to protect their own. Hell, I guess I should be on the list as well, since I once served as a vanguard.”

Trevino inclined his head, but Torran couldn’t decipher what the gesture meant. “The Notre Dame Depot excursion is one of the most important yet. We strongly suspect the fugitives might be in the city. Calculations indicate this would probably be the furthest they’d be able to travel with their limited resources.”

“I will keep my eyes open for any irregularities.”

“Excellent. We’re depending on you, Master Seeker MacDonald.”

Once he was excused, Torran dashed across the quad to the squad’s headquarters. Lindsey would be returning soon, and he hoped to speak to her in private. If she was being investigated, it was only a matter of time before their affair would be uncovered. Most likely, Lindsey would be removed from the squad, and though Torran would be happy to have her out of danger, she’d resent the transfer. He hated the idea of any friction happening between them. Yet, he couldn’t tell her about the search for her best friend, even though there was a distinct possibility she already knew. And it wasn’t beyond reason to suspect she was working against the SWD discovering Maria.

Though he wasn’t a violent man by nature, Torran felt like punching something very, very hard.

Instead, he hurried into the prep room and pulled up the mission records on one of the consoles. Though he was not the mad genius Lindsey was when it came to computers, he was more than competent. Swiftly writing a program to search for specific clues, he frowned as he worked. Lindsey was very good at covering her tracks, which would make his search very hard if she was the one behind the sabotage. Yet, things could be missed. He opted not to pay attention to the feed from the aerial drones or remote generators, but the squad’s suits.

Torran was deep into his review when the door opened, and it took him a second to register the arrival of another person. Swiftly closing his program, he looked up to see Lindsey standing in the doorway. It seemed to be the day for indecipherable looks on people’s faces. He couldn’t tell if she was angry, sad, agitated or afraid. Or maybe she was all of those things at once. She started to speak, but the doors opened again.

“We need to leave now.” Chief Defender Solomon was already in her armor and held a tablet in one hand. “An unexpected snow storm is in route.”

Not even giving them a chance to respond, the commanding officer swiveled about and hurried down the hallway.

Without a word, Lindsey followed and Torran hurried to catch up. His fingers grazed hers and she looked up at him. It staggered him to realize that an unexpected distance had popped up between them just since their parting kiss in the morning. The woman he loved looked wounded, unsettled, and unsure. He suspected he may have somehow lost her faith in him, and the thought left him adrift in a cold void. Words failed him and he stared at her in silence.

“We need to go,” she said finally.

“Lindsey,” he said in a voice so soft those down the hallway couldn’t have heard him.

“We’ll talk later,” she replied, and then walked swiftly after the chief defender.

Deeply bothered, Torran trailed after her, his stomach a heavy knot in his belly and his nerves buzzing with dread.